Lucca patient with Congo disease symptoms, samples tested

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 8 - A man returning from Congo who presented flu-like symptoms potentially attributable to the disease that is affecting a region of the African country was hospitalized in Lucca in recent days and has already been discharged, Maria Rosaria Campitiello, Head of the Prevention Department of the Ministry of Health, said Sunday.
    The patient was hospitalized in the San Luca hospital in Lucca from November 22 to December 3, the day he was discharged because he had recovered.
    This morning the Lucca hospital informed the Istituto Superiore di Sanità which is monitoring the situation.
    The ministry is proceeding with the necessary checks and the samples taken will be analyzed by the Istituto Superiore della Sanità (Higher Health Institute, ISS).
    On Friday some 140 people were reported to have died of the mystery disease in Congo, but this toll was slashed to around 30-40 on Saturday. (ANSA).